Attachment for grain or grist mills



W. P. CARSON.

ATTACHMENT FOR GRAIN 0R GRIST MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24| lglg 1,327,700. Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET f QQ Ulli1 IZ hf. i? Car/6010.

W. P. CARSON.

ATTACHMENT FOR GRAIN OR GRIST MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED MMI. 24. I9I9.

1,327,700. Patented Jan.13,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 WQ .e

W Gafsa/o.

* TTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILFRED l?. CARSQN, GE GREENSBQRG, NORTH CAROLINA.

ATTAGMENT FR GRAIN OR GRIST MILLS.

Application filed March 24,

To all whomz't may concern:

Be it known that I, WiLrnnD P. CARSON, a citizen of the United States of' America, and resident of Greensboro, county of Guilford, State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful improvements in and Relating to Attachmcntsfor Grain or Grist Mills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improve ments in attachments for grain grinding mills, or what are commonly called corn or grist mills; and the objects and nature of the invention Will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following explanation of' the accompanying drawings illustrating What I now believe to be the preferred embodiment or mechanical expression of my invention from among other forms, arrangements, and combinations within the spirit and scope thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide improved means for feeding the grain to the mill and at the same time separating foreign material and objectionable matter from the grain, whereby the grain While being transferred from the mill hopper to the grinding surfaces will be cleansed of objectionable and foreign matter likely to cause injury to the grinding surfaces or to lovver the quality of the meal.

A further object of the invention is to provide certainimprovements in vibrating shoes for corn and other grist mills.

A further object of the invention is to provide certain improvements in details of construction and in arrangements of parts for the production of an advantageous and improved grist mill.

The invention consists in certain novel features in construction and in combinations and arrangements as more fully and particularly set forth her inafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings z- Figure 1, is a side elevation of a grain grinding mill, partially in vertical section and with parts broken away.

Fig. .2, is a detail perspective of the feed shoe.

Fig. 3, is a detail perspective of the screen slide of the feed shoe.

Fig. 4, is a cross section of the feed shoe.

Fig. 5, is a detail perspective of the feed box looking at the inner side thereof.

Fig. 6, is a detail perspective of a portion Specification of Letters Patent.

lele. serial No. 284,611.

of the feed shoe looking at the under side thereof.

Tn the drawings, I shoxv any suitable corn or other grain grinding mill, preferably of the horizontal spindle vertically rotating bur type, having any suitable source of grain supply, usually a hopper 6, terminating in a depending spout or nozzle from Which the grain falls by gravity onto a suitable inclined vibrating shoe arranged above thev mill casing 1. The grain travels down the shoe and in the instance illustrated, falls from the rear end thereof into means are ranged beyond one end of the mill casing and designed to deliver the grain into the feed passage 3 of the mill, through which the grain is forced by Worm 5 to the grinding faces of the stones or burs. The Worm 5 is carried by the mill spindle 2 Which also carries and drives the rotary stone or bur of the mill.

Any suitable driving means, such as pulley 2fL can be provided for rotating the mill spindle 2.

The hopper 6 rests in and is upheld bya suitable supporting structure fxedto the top of the mill casing and rising therefrom. This supporting structure in the specific eX- ample illustrated, consists of a horizontal top ring 61 and several spaced standards or legs 62 to the upper ends of' which the ring 61 is xed. have suitable feet 63 fixed on the top of the mill casing. The hopper rests on and is centered and supported by the ring 61 and depends therethrough so that the nozzle 60 is held in operative position with respect to and above the shoe. The feed regulator comprises the vertically movable gate or regulator sleeve 64, that coperates With the grain board 14 of the shoe to cut off and control the flow of grain from nozzle 60. Suitable means are provided to adjust said gate vertically.

The shoe is arranged above the mill casing and is longitudinally inclined from its grain receiving end to its discharge end. This shoe can be supported and vibrated in any desirable manner and by any suitable means. For i'nstance, I show a suitable bracket 7 fixed to and projecting from the mill casing; a vertically swingable lever 72L fulcrumed to said bracket; a plate spring 8 forming the operative connection between a rounded enlargement 7b on said lever and the rear end of the shoe; and an eccentric The lower ends of the legs 62 ,sists of a rigid open frame on the spindle 2 having its eccentric strap 9 provided with upright pitinan 10, operatively coupled to the free end of the lever 7 by a loose or flexible coupling 11.

The shoe of my invention comprises aV longitudinally elongated box having a bottom floor 13 and a surrounding edge wall 12 closing the box or housing at the ends and longitudinal sides, except for an opening at the upper end, as hereinafter' described, through which the screen slide is entered and withdrawn. The box is open at the upper side between the depressed grain board or plate lil, the stop or ldeflecting dam or board 15, and the longitudinal opposite edge strips 1G. These boards or plates 14- and 15 and the edge strips 1G, are iixed and arranged over the hollow or interior chamber of the shoe and said top opening of the shoe is bounded by the longitudinal edges of the strips and the transverse grain delivering edge of the plate 1l and the if' shape deflecting edgelqu of the plate 15.

0n the floor 13 of the shoe is arranged a fixed or permanent dam or block 17 closing the lower end of the space within the box and having a lJ-shape deflecting edge 17a leading to the two separated bottom outlets 1S through the floor 13 for discharge of scr enings. This stop er dam 17 is formed with a central passage registering with a central passage through floor 13 located between openings 18, and these passages forni 'the grain discharge or outlet 19 from the space between the top plate 15 and the dam 17.

1Within the interior of the Vbox or shoe, l provide a pair of longitudinal slideways or drawer supports and guides 20 arranged along` the .longitudinal opposite edge por-- tions of the interior of the shoe out Vz inwardly from the side edge walls of box. ln the example sho 1 each guide con sists of an angle iron nroriding longitudinal upstanding fla De a.. nal horizontal or depresse angle irons are fixed in the box or shoe ane spaced downwardly fr in the overlianging top strips 1G and upwsudl; a distance above the bottom door 13.

These guides 2O are arranged to receive the longitudinally removable .1ereen drawer or slide which is applicable to and remov able from the box or shoe through a slot opening 21 in the upper end edge wall of the box. The screen drawer or slide conconiposed of cross head or upper end 22, the opposite cross head 23, and the longitudinal edge strips 2li; upper and lower fixed parallel reticulated sheets or screens E2G., fixed to and covering the upper and lower sides of said open frame and spanning the opening inclosed thereby. The upper screen Q5 is of relatively coarse mesh to permit passage of the grain, while the lower screen 26 is of relatively fine mesh to uphold and support the perfect or full sized grains and prevent passage thereof through the screen while permitting dirt and small pieces of foreign matter to separate from the grain and fall through said fine screen. The upper or coarse screen is designed to separate coarse refuse and foreign material from the grain and uphold the saine from the grain which falls through onto the lower fine screen. rlhe space between the upper and lower screens is of suflicient width lvertically to permit free travel of the grain along the top surface of the fine screen to a vertical central outlet 27 at the lower end of the screen and opening` downwardly through the cross head 2B. rlhis outlet is closed at the top bv the top or coarse screen, while the framework of the screen slide forms downwardly converging guide edges or walls 23a, for guiding and leading the grain to said bottom outlet.

The screen slide is formed to slip longitudinally into the shoe or box through the end opening 21 aud the outer end of the slide head is provided with a flange or plate 28 to exteriorly close said opening` and with a pull handle 29 whereby tile slide can be conveniently drawn from the shoe. The slide occupies approximately the full length of the box, and throughout its length rests on the horizontal flanges of the guides Q0 and between the vertical flanges of said guides. rthis slide ts the under surfaces of the plates 14 and 15 and the top surface of the dam l?, and the bottom discharge opening 2T of the screen slide registers with the grain discharge or bottom outlet 19.

llllhile the length of the creen slide approximately equals the length of the box or slice, the width of said slide is less than the interior width of said box and only equals the distance between the vertical flanges of the fixed guides 20. These guides are spaced upwardly from the lioor 13 and inwardly from the edge walls 12 of the shoe, and hence .f'ertical spaces or passages 20a exist between walls 12 and the guides 20 leading` from the spaces above said guides to the horizontal spaces between the floor 13 and bottom surfaces of said guides. In other words, material is free to drop behind said guides to the floor and is free to move on the floor below the guides. These spaces above7 behind and below the guides are utilized for the passage of the refuse from the top of the coarse screen to the floor 13 and its final discharge through bottom outlets 1S from said floor. To permit passage of the refuse from the coarse screen 25, l provide opposite side lateral outlets 2Gb under the side strips 16 and in outward continuation of the diverging guide edges 15a of dam 15 and over and beyond the side edges of the screen slide and the guides 20 and opening to the spaces 20a. The refuse on the coarse screen 25 will hence gradually work down that screen until it strikes the diverging guide edges 15a and will be thereby guided laterally to the outlets 20b through which it will pass on the screen slide until it drops from the edges of that slide falling in the spaces behind the guides :20 onto the floor 13. The refuse on this floor, from the outlets 20h and from the fine screen 26, gradually works toward the lower end of the floor and into contact with the diverging guide edges 17a which direct the same to the bottom outlets 18 through which the screenings or refuse fall from the box or shoe. The grain retained on the fine screen gradually Works toward the lower end of the screen slide where it is guided by the converging guide edges 23a and passes over the lower edge of the fine screen and drops through opening 27 and outlet 19 from the box or shoe.

Then in operative position within the shoe or box, the screen slide is in effect a fixed part of the shoe, and yet can be readily removed for cleaning and to permit access to the interior of the shoe or to permit replacement by a similar screen slide having screens of different mesh or sizes.

Certain advantages in structure and operation are gained by this screen slide and shoe formation and arrangement. The lower end of the shoe or feed box is slidably upheld or supported in any suitable manner and projects outwardly beyond the mill casing, and overhangs an intake box 30 for leading the grain to the feed passage or box 3 and for discharging the screenings at the exterior of the mill casing.

In the example illustrated, this box 30 consists of a casting or other housing arranged vertically at the exterior of the mill casing and secured thereto. The box is composed of a vertical exterior wall at its inner side formed with several vertical spaced ianges 30c arranged so that their inner vertical edges fit the mill casing and form a vertical grain chute or passage 30a, and two vertical screenings chutes or passages 30". rlhis intake box is open at its upper end which is located under the outer end of the shoe, and is so arranged that the grain outlet 19 of the shoe is always alined with and over the open upper end of grain chute 80a, and the screenings outlets 18 register with and are always over the upper ends of the screenings chutes 30b respectively.

At its lower end, the intake box is so formed that its grain chute 30a fits and opens into the feed passage or box 3 of the mill to deliver the cleaned grain thereinto, while the lower ends of the screenings chutes 301 open outwardly to discharge at the exterior of the casing.

It is evident that various changes, modifications, and additions might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence 1 do not wish to limit myself to the exact disclosures hereof.

What 1 claim is 1. 1n a grist mill feed mechanism embodying a vibratory7 shoe for cleaning the grain from the hopper and deliver-im.;` the cleaned grain to the intake box for passage to the mill feed box; said shoe comprising a hollow box having passages and separate outlets for the grain and screenings and fixed top and bottom boards, and a longitudinally removable screen slide embodying a frame and upper and lower screens, said screen slide being arranged between said top and bottom boards, said box providing a longitudinal guideway for said slide and an end wall closed except for an opening for the insertion and removal of said slide, said slide closing said opening.

2. A grain feed shoe or box comprising a housing having a bottom iioor with separate 'vertical grain and screenings outlets therethrough at one end thereof, a dam on the box floor closing the same from the grain outlet and providing passages to the screenings outlets, an upper coarse screen and a lower fine screen, a dam on the coarse screen providing guideway edges, said box provid ing lateral screenings outlets above the coarse screen and along said guiding edges and vertical passages from said lateral out lets and beyond the vertical edges of the screens to said floor, and means providing a grain discharge from the fine screen to said grain outlet. x.

3. A grain feed shoe or box having a bottom floor to receive the screenings and a discharge therefor, an upper coarse screen and a lower fine screen in said box, means providing a grain passage from the fine screen and a grain outlet therefor from the shoe, and means providing opposite lateral outlets for the screenings from said coarse screen, and vertical passages from said outlets leading to said floor and arranged beyond the side edges of said screens.

4, A grain feed shoe or box having a surrounding edge wall closing the lower or front end of the shoe and having a bottom floor with separate outlets opening therethrough for screenings and for grain, means closing the grain outlet from the screenings outlets and from the material on said floor, coarse and fine screens in said shoe. means providing a grain passage from the line screen to said bottom grain outlet, and means providing passages from the top surface of the coarse screen to said floor.

5. A grain feed shoe or box having a closed end wall with an opening and screen slide guides arranged longitudinally within the box and leading from said opening, a

- screen slide arranged longitudinally within the boX and closing Said opening' and longitudinally removable theretln'ough, Said shoe providing internal Vertical passages oui Waidly beyond said guides to receive material from the top suiface of a Slide screen and deliver the saine int-o the shoe below said slide.

6. In griet mills and the like einbmlyinga vibiatory shoe for separating the grain from 10 the refuse and delivering the grain and refuse to Separate chutes in an intake boX for passage o' the grain to the inill feed box and for discharge of refuse at the exteiior of the mill; an intake box Consisting 01"' a, Veltioal Wall at its innei side having vertical flanges arranged so thaij then1 vertical. edges i'it the 1rf'all of the niill casing and thereby forni che separate grain and iefuse chutes.

WILFRED P. CARSON. 

